For one Michigan woodworker, building furniture from knotty, blemished wood has become something of a personal mission.

“There is a lot of beauty in imperfections,” said Scott Newport, a woodworker from Royal Oak, Mich.

Unfortunately, it took a tragedy to discover this. Four years ago, Newport’s son, Evan, was born with Noonan Syndrome, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, and lung disease. To cope with his son’s terminal illness, the carpenter by trade turned to furniture making.

“This is my therapy,” he said.

Started as a thank you
Newport began building furniture as gifts to thank the doctors and nurses who helped his son at the hospital. Cash-strapped from the expensive medical bills, Newport used leftover scraps in his shop to build six stools.

His gifts were a hit and Newport quickly identified a deeper meaning in the discarded knotty lumber he was using.

“I thought man; this is kind of like Evan. People who are sick are put to the side… He’s got holes in him… he’s not perfect but he’s a pretty cool kid,” he said. 

After a couple passes with the planer, Newport said the wood’s character comes out, and he often finds beauty underneath the terrible looking exteriors.

“Nobody wanted this stuff and it wasn’t good enough,” he said. “For some reason I can find the beauty in the wood.” 

Reaching out with furniture
As word of his furniture spread, local woodworkers started donating their scraps to Newport, and he began collecting reclaimed materials from dumpsters and demolished buildings. 

Four years later, hundreds of his projects have found their way into homes across the country, from families with sick children to the White House. Newport also gives his work away for charity auctions.

As he sends furniture to people all over, Newport said he is able to spread Evan’s story and create a legacy for a little boy who doctors didn’t think would ever make it home from the hospital.

“I think deep down inside, when Evan dies, I’ll think back and I’ll know that this is what Evan and I did. We’ve touched 300 or 350 people. He can barely walk, but he still matters.”

Read more
You can read more about Newport, his woodworking mission, Evan, and their family at the Noonan Syndrome Support Group’s Web site where Newport writes about his experience. You can also read more published articles by Newport on his woodwork therapy and the warrior mentality that keeps their family going. 

Photos: Scott Newport, Penni Newport, and a White House Staff Photographer.